Due shortage of doctors in public healthcare facilities, the Odisha government has permitted pharmacists to treat minor ailments and dispense drugs for certain diseases in hospitals.
As per order issued by Odisha Health and Family Welfare department, Many of the single doctor hospitals in the state are managed by the pharmacists in absence of doctors due to some reason or other. It is difficult to manage the hospitals without any specific Govt. orders entrusting the Pharmacists for treatment of patients and list of ailments to be treated by them.
In order to overcome the difficulties, Government of odisha after careful consideration decided that in partial modification to this Health department Order bearing No.29534, dtd.23.09.2003, Govt. in H & FW Department, the Pharmacists are entrusted to dispense drugs for treatment in absence of Doctors.
Pharmacists have been allowed to dispense medicines for treatment in minor ailments such as malaria, fever, URTI, skin diseases (scabies and ringworm), helminthiasis, diarrhoea, APD, minor injuries without medicolegal cases (MLC), superficial burns without MLC and drainage of abscess, as per order.
In DCs and non-communicable diseases, the pharmacists have been authorised to dispense previously prescribed drugs or any medicine prescribed by e-Sanjibani or tele-medicine. The pharmacists have been allowed to dispense only government-supplied medicines from Niramaya.
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